An official investigation has begun into whether Italian authorities should have done more to prevent the Feb 26 disaster, reported Reuters. Italy's navy and coastguard issued a statement saying they received distress calls on Friday from three vessels, and rushed to help. "The rescues (were) complex due to the boats being overloaded with migrants and the unfavorable sea conditions," the coastguard said in a statement. Meloni's conservative government, which came into office last October, had promised to reduce the fl ow of migrants this year. The prime minister last week introduced plans that may see people smugglers receive extended prison terms, after she and her Cabinet visited the site near the Feb 26 shipwreck.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 13, 2023 02:45 UTC